Many of you know John Riggins, also famously known as “The Diesel”, from his years playing professional football for the Washington Redskins. While with the Redskins, he set the franchise record for total rushing yards, a record that still stands today. His nickname came from the way he seemed to run straight through any would-be tacklers. He was one of the Redskins’ biggest stars during many of their best years.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to hear him speak recently at an event hosted by the good folks at Cohn Reznick. Riggins described driving to Monday morning practice one year having just finished a great regular season by clinching home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs, which would be played the following weekend. He said that while he was driving old memories came rushing back to him.
He remembered his upbringing in a Kansas farm town (population: 518), trying to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, an exceptional athlete who was professionally drafted in 2 sports. He recalled how the townspeople doubted him when he won a football scholarship to the University of Kansas. When he was ready to make the transition to the pros, college and pro coaches alike wondered if he could make it as a running back in the NFL.
He thought about how he had signed with the New York Jets – and been traded 3 years later. Then he held out for a season over a contract dispute. During that drive to Monday practice, after 11 years in the league, he thought about all those memories and asked himself if he had what it would take to seize the opportunity in front of him.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. When he pulled into the practice facility he immediately jumped out of his car and ran to the locker room, looking for Joe Bugel, a Redskins offensive coach and Riggins’ chief confidant on the staff. Riggins yelled to Joe, “Get me the ball! I’m ready!”. Bugel pointed at the head coach’s office and said, “Go tell him that.”
“Him”, of course, was Joe Gibbs, the Redskins’ head coach during their glory years. Riggins ran right into Gibbs’ office, sat down across from the coach and said over and over, “Give me the ball. I’m ready, coach; give me the ball.” Well, Joe Gibbs didn’t become the greatest play caller of his generation by being a fool.
Gibbs listened to Riggins’ pleas and during the following playoff games and Super Bowl, Riggins broke the records for carries and yards during the postseason. This amazing run culminated with a final record-breaking performance in a Super Bowl victory over the Miami Dolphins.
Immediately after the Super Bowl win, Riggins rushed to the middle of the field and took a bow in all four directions while receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. It seemed like it was his way of embracing the moment when he proved, once and for all, that he belonged on that team, on that field, in that game. He was a long way from the farm in that small town, living in the shadow of his older brother. Now he was shining on the NFL’s grandest stage.
Have a great weekend,
Ro
I would like to take a moment to thank all of my readers for helping me double my readership in the last year and expand Ro’s Words of Encouragement to 25 states and more than 20 countries. My readership grows primarily because you share my blog with your family and friends, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your support. Here’s to another great year of encouragement!